Gunmen have killed at least 20 people in an attack in a gold mining village in Nigeria’s northwestern Zamfara state, residents and Amnesty International said.
Details on a possible motive for the attack were not immediately known but Zamfara state has grappled with kidnappings for ransom by armed gangs, who also target security forces.
Zamfara police’s spokesperson did not immediately respond to request for comment.
Ismail Hassan, a resident, told Reuters that gunmen in their hundreds opened fire on miners on Thursday afternoon and a firefight ensued with over 20 people dead in the mining village of Gobirawa Chali in the Maru local government area of Zamfara state.
Another resident, Isah Ibrahim, said they had recovered 21 bodies following the attack and that several were injured.
Amnesty International said in a statement the gunmen went house-to-house in Gobirawa Chali, killing over 20 people.
“The people of Dan Gulbi district have been repeatedly attacked by gunmen and continue to live perpetually in fear of a potential attack,” Amnesty International Nigeria said in its post, adding that many people are missing since the attack.
The rights group said that residents of the district often require armed security escorts to travel in and out of the area because of the frequent attacks.
Rabi’u Bawa, a resident of Gobirawa Chali, told AP that the raid on the community was a reprisal for an attack that residents had successfully repelled on Wednesday (April 23, 2025). “They lost about seven of their men in that attack,” he said.
Mr. Bawa said the people responsible for the attack are loyal to Dogo Gide, a notorious bandit who has been terrorising communities in the state of Zamfara for months.
Last December, gunmen abducted at least 50 people, including several women and children, in the Maradun area of Zamfara.
